Bottle-filling device.



J. H. CHAMP.

BOTTLE FILLING DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED APn.7.19o9.

1,154,746, PzltentedSept. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I. H, CHAMP. BOTTLE FILLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7 1909.

1,154,746. I Y PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1. H. CHAMP. BOTTLE FILLING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. T, |909.

1,154,746. Pamedsept. 28, 1915. I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IIIII IIIIIII IIII . u I .mmll'T I RI u N@ iig l II 1. H. CHAMP. BOTTLE FILLING DEVICE.

APPLICATIONA FILED APR. 7. |909.

' PatentedSept-28, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

#2255555.- ZZZ z/'EZZZUJZ resting in the top of the bottle J'SSEPH'H. CHAMP, or CLEVELAND, onto.

BOTTLE-FILLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

Application led Aprilfk', 1909. Serial No. 488,494.

To (777, /r/m//z it muy concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH H, CHAMP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bottle-Filling Devices, of which the following is a specification, the principle'of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that,principle, so as to distinguish it from other' inventions.

The present invention, relating in general to bottling machines, is designed more particularly toprovide a machine for bottling liquids underrhigh pressures such as certain classes of carbonated beverages, fo-r instance, Apollinaris water, which is desirably main` tained under a pressure of about lvlbs. It is of course, appreciated that in filling bottles with any kind of liquid, it is desirable that the bottle be filled well up in the neck, since otherwise it hasthe appearance of being only partly filled.irre`spective of whether a full measure is held by the bottle or not. Vith these highly charged liquids, however, ,it has been found that even though they be filled under counter-pressure which prevents effervescence during the filling operation proper, the sudden fall in pressure incident to the disconnection of the bottle from'the apparatus, and the consequent sudden expansion of the small quantity of gas left neck, forces moreor less of the liquid therefrom likewise, with the untoward result already noted.

The object of the. present invention, is the provision, then, of bottling apparatus lthat will overcome this difficulty.A Obviously there is-no intention of implying any restriction of its use to the Vsingle field referred to, by way of illustration, since there may be various other occasions to employ the principle of the invention in connection with varied bottling operations.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing ends, said invention consists of the. means hereinafter fully escribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting,however, butone of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

n said annexed drawings: Figure lis partly a sectional .and partly a side elevational view of al lling apparatus wherein have been embodied m l present improvements; Figs. 2, 2" and 2 are respectively a longitudinal central. section, a transverse section, and an end view of the valve controlling the bottling operation, such valve being shown in its normal inoperative position; Figs. 3, 3",'and 3l similarly illustrate said valve in its first operative position, wherein a fluid pressure bottle lift is actuated to raise the bottle into contact with the bottle mouth-piece; Figs. 4, 4 and 4l similarly illustrate said valve in its second operative position, wherein the pressure in the bottle is preliminarily raised to a4 point intermediate between'atmospheric and that in the filling tank; 'Figs 5, 5, and 5 similarly illustrate said valve in `its third operative position, wherein the pressure in the bottle is fully equalized with that in the filling tank; Figs. 6 6. valve in its fourth operative position, wherein the liquid enters the bottle; and Figs. 7, 7a, and 7b similarly illustrate said valve in its fifth operative position in which the 'excess pressure in the upper portion of'the bottle necks is reduced in the fashion presently to `be described.`

The bottling filling device illustrated in Fig. l forms partonly of the general Ina-f chine to which it appertains, but inasmuch as it; embodies all the features of present interest, it is not deeemed necessary to show such machine in itsV entirety. IIt may'be stated that the machine is of the rotarytype, wherein, n other words, the filling tank is mounted so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis and bears about its periphery a plurality of filling' devices, of which that illustrated, forms but one. As said tank rotates, the filling devices are successively supplied with bottles, then actuated to fill the bottles, and the latter thereupon removed. all of said operations being accomplished in more or less automatic fashion, depending upon the character of the machine and the use to which it is to be put. The particular type of rotary machine', moreover, to which the present,.apparatusA belongs involves the utilization of a )rcssure fluid actuated lift, for the rasing of the bottle against the bottle. mouth-piece of the filling device. Such lift, likewise forming no part of the present invention, is illustrated only in part, and its operation need not be further referred vto than to state that the supply of the pressiirey fluid to the -inotorand the exhaust-ofthc and Gb similarly illustrate said same therefrom is controlled by the same valve that controls the filling operation proper. j Attention will now be directed to the latter, first describing the mechanism involved.

The tankr., of which a section only appears in Fig'. l, is provided as usual vwith suitable means (not shown) whereby the liquid to be filled into the bottles is main,- tained therein at a substantially constant level, and under a pressure suited to the character of the liquid. Assuming, for purposes of illustration that such liquid is Apollinaris water, this pressure, as has been already indicated, would be approximately 35 lbs. The distributing, or bottle filling, de-

i vice B, proper, is attached to the under side ofthe tank and'has communication with the tanks interior by various passages, whereby bbth the pressure fluid resting above the liquid in the tank, and such liquid may be' admitted lto -a bottle supported in operative relation to the device. Such distributing device comprises a fixed valve member BA and a movable valve member B2, said fixed valve member in the present instance bear- Aing the bottle mouth-piece Ba wherewith the bottle is brought into Contactin order to effect a4 seal therewith when it is raised by the bottle lift. etails of the-construction of such mouth-piece need not be further noted than to remark (see Figs. 2 et seg.) that it includes a rubber gasket b having an annular groove of V-cross section on its under side, and formed with a central opening b. A passage 1 in the fixed member of' the device leads from such opening b to a tube a that extends upwardly within a tank above the level of-the liquid therein, so as to afford 'communication between such upper tank portion and the bottle when the movable valve member is properly disposed. Fitted in the opening in the bottle-mouthpiece and projecting downwardly therethrough for a short distance, is a vfilling tube b2 that communicates with anhther passage 2 inthe fixed member of' the device, opening directly into the bottom of the tank, such passage and tube serving to conduct liquid from the tank to the bottle when the movable member of'` the device is properly adjusted for this purpose. ln addition to the passage just described, as communicating between the bottle and the upper portion of the tank, another passage Zi is provided in the fixed member of the device that has connection with the central opening in the bottle mouth-piece through which the filling liquid tube projects. This passage is connected. at its upper end with a closed chamber or compartment a. conveniently located within the tank., and preferably in the` forni of' a cylindrical tube sealed at its upper end.

rlhe movable member B2 of the filling device in the present construction is inthe form of a plug that is rotatably held in a suitable seat in the fixed member, suchzseat intersecting the several passages l, 2 and 3,

that have just been described as leading. from thel bottle mouth-piece to the filling tank. Formed in the plug, as'will be evident from an inspection ofFigs. 2 to 7 in-l elusive, are transverse passages-4l, 5 and 6, adapted, when said plug is properly adjusted, to register with those portions of the passages in the fixed Valve member that are Vintersected by the plugs seat. Since Athese suitably disposed lugs C, C C2 and C3 as I diagrammatically represented in Figs. 2 to 7; respectively, so 'aste successively position said valve in six different positions, which l have denominated the normal or inoperative position, and the first, second, third, fourth and fifth operative positions.

in the normaler inoperative position of the device which is illustrated. in Figs. 2, 2, and 2", all of the passages concerned in the lfilling' operation proper are closed,- and this condi-tion still obtains in the first operative position, the movement of' the valve to such position serving merely to eii'ec't a proper connection between a fluid pressure-motor D operating thev bottle lift, and the source of pressure supply therefor, whereby lsaid lift may be elevated and the bottle raised, as previously described, into contact with lthe bottle mouth-piece of' the filling device.

A d uct ai anda passage 0V, the latterbeing contr'olled by the valve plug Bare provided for supplying such fiuid to opposite sides of' the motor. The exhaust I preferably discharge through a longitudinal passage (l: in the end of the valve plug aiid to mulile the noise, incident to such ,dischargea perforatedv cap d is secured to such valve end.

ln the sccondoperative position ilhisi trated in Figs. 4, 4a, and 4b, the rotative position of the valve is such as to bring passage G therein into register with passage 3 in the fixed valye member, so that communication is established between the bottle interior and the closed chamber a. As'will presently appear, the latter is normally under a pressure higher than atmospheric but I not so high as that in the main tank A, so that a degree of counter pressure will be built up in the bottle preliminarilyto the admission of the full counter pressure characterizing tlie-third operati-ve position.

In such third operative position illustrated in Figs. 5, a and 5b, a further rotai tion of the plugserves to connect the main may be admitted into the bottle, and a full -counter pressure there built up before vthe liquid is admitted. Admission of the liquid,

however, follows immediately in the fourth -operative position of the device shown in Figs. 6, 6a, 6b, where the fillingl tube b2 de-4 A pending through the mouth-piece into the bottle is connected with the lower portion of the tank A, through passages 2 and 5. It will be understood that the connection just described as having been made with the passage 1 still .continuesp'through this stage of the operation, as s hown in dotted'lines in Fig. 6a. Y.

'lo reach the position of parts characterizing the final operative position of Figs. 7, 7, and 7* a reversal in thedirection of rotation takes place cutting off in succession, the liquid supply passage 2, and the normal counter pressure supply-and-vent passage 1, Just before, however, the parts are returned to the normal inoperative position of Figs. 2, Qf'and 2b, connection'is effected between the bottle and the cylindrical closed 'cham ber within the tank A as in the second operative position. The effect of this connec- Ation is to allow the layer of gas resting upon theliquid in the bottle neck 'under the high pressure of' the filling tank to expand into such'chamber a', such expansion being sulficient to reduce the pressure of the fluid in question down toseveral pounds above at#` mospheric pressure. -Upon the bottle beingk now brought finally to its normal position in which the lift is depressed and the bottle allowed to sink, .the separation of the bottle from the mouth-piece B3 `is unaccompanied by any violent expansion of gases therein y sure to a bottle to be filled; a closed chamber and attendant spurting forth of its contents. Such contents, in fact, remain entirely quiescent, since the slight fall in pressure from several pounds above to atmospheric pressure is not accompanied by this phenomenon. The small closed chamber a. within the tank A will be'lilled from the eXhaust gas taken' practically constant by'partial exhausting of the same into the bottles as lthey are placed in the filling position. In the operation shown in igs. 4, 4'* and 1b the bottles which "lare filled with air at atmospheric pressure arev connected to the small chamber a', thus allowing the pressure in the chamber to drop sufficiently to keep the same at a practically constant point.

Other modes of applying the principle of Amy invention may be employed'instead of the one explained,.change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claimsl or the equivalent' of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim `as my invention 1. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a bottle mouthpiec'e; a

duct connected with vsaid (mouth piece for supplying a counter-pressure to a bottle to be filled; a duct for supplying liquid to said bottle; a closed chamber supplied with a fluid under a pressure lower than said counter-pressure and higher than atmospheric pressure; a duct connecting said chamber.

with said mouth-piece; and a valve arranged and constructed to close said last-named duct during the-filling of liquid into said said counter-pressure and higher than atl mospheric pressure; ducts respectively connecting said liquid reservoir and said chamber with said mouth piece; and a valve controlling said ducts, said valve being adapted,

to close .the duct to said chamber, whilefthet duct toV said reservoir is open and', upon clost ing said reservoir duct, to open said chamber duct, substantially as set forth. 3. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a bottle mouth-piece; a

liquid reservoir; a duct connected with said mouth-piece for. supplying a counter-presdisposed at a higher level than said bottle; a duct 'connecting said chamber with said mouth piece; and a valve closing said lastnamed duct during the filling ofliquid into said bottle and adapted to open said duct lafter filling has ceased, substantially as'. de-

scribed. v

Signed by me thisth day of April, 1909.

JOSEPH H. CHAMP. Attested by- I). T. DAviEs, MARY' (iiADwifiLL. 

